1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for depositing microcrystalline silicon film for photovoltaic devices.
2. Description of the Background Art
Photovoltaic devices (PV) or solar cells are devices which convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electrical power. PV or solar cells typically have one or more p-n junctions. Each junction comprises two different regions within a semiconductor material where one side is denoted as the p-type region and the other as the n-type region. When the p-n junction of the PV cell is exposed to sunlight (consisting of energy from photons), the sunlight is directly converted to electricity through the PV effect. PV solar cells generate a specific amount of electric power and cells are tiled into modules sized to deliver the desired amount of system power. PV modules are created by connecting a number of PV solar cells and are then joined into panels with specific frames and connectors.
Microcrystalline silicon film (μc-Si) is one type of film being used to form PV devices. However, a production worthy apparatus and process has yet to be developed to be able to provide PV devices at low cost. For example, insufficient crystallinity of the silicon film may cause incomplete formation and fraction of the film, thereby reducing the conversion efficiency in a PV solar cell. Additionally, conventional deposition processes of microcrystalline silicon film (μc-Si), have slow deposition rates, which disadvantageously reduce manufacturing throughput and increase production costs.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method for depositing a microcrystalline silicon film.